Bailey
Mierzejewski of Mt. Sterling, Ohio is wrapping up competing at the AQHYA World
Show with her new horse, Some Hot Potential. But right before leaving for Oklahoma City, Bailey competed at the
Madison County Fair and showed a horse, heifer, dairy cow, goat, lamb, hog, rabbit,
and a duck. All her hard work preparing paid off because she won the
competition and was named the 2011 Grand Showman of Showmen.
We
are all familiar with showing horses, but how do you get involved in competing
with so many different animals? When she was nine years old, one of her best
friends from school convinced her to join her 4-H club and show at the fair.
Her first year in 4-H, she just showed a horse. After that first year, Bailey
started showing lambs and hogs and recalls that she loved it. This year at the
Fair she decided to also show a horse and a hog.
“This
year I won my class with the horse and was selected out of all the other class
winners to be the horse Showman of Showmen. There is a Showman of Showmen
selected from each of the eight main species of animals, and, then, we all
compete against each other to be the Grand Showman of Showmen,” Bailey
said. “It was my very first year to compete in the Grand Showman of Showmen
competition. There are kids at my Fair that show hogs and cattle and other
animals every weekend like I show horses, so, I watched them show and learned
from them.”
[NPI
Float=”left”]/Media/4/jpg/2011/8/b321c900-c3a9-76ca-217532224d05d211.jpg[/NPI]The
competitors also had to take a knowledge test that consists of questions about
all of the eight species. Then, in the actual competition, for example, eight
hogs are randomly chosen from the barn and then the eight competitors draw for
which animal they will show. Then, this process is repeated for the rest of the
species. Each species is judged by a judge that specializes in that species.
When
GoHorseShow asked her how she compares showing horses to other animals, Bailey
says that regardless of the animals; it takes lots of sweat and tears to get
prepared to compete.
[NPI
Float=”right”]/Media/4/jpg/2011/8/b3175ea0-f118-12fe-ce00c22b17f3a730.jpg[/NPI]”I
have always loved horses since I was young and knew that showing was something
that I would always want to do. Both horses and other animals take a lot of
hard work and preparation but when the hard work pays off during competition it
makes it all worthwhile.”
Bailey
has some funny stories to tell about showing. “Well, it wasn’t funny at
the time but I got bucked off in the finals of hunt seat equitation at the
Congress when I was 11 years-old, but, luckily placed in hunter under saddle
the next day, so, it was easy to forgive my horse. Also, two years ago at the fair
while I was showing my hog, he got into a fight with another hog and ended up
biting the judge. That was embarrassing,” Bailey remembers and laughs.
[NPI
Float=”left”]/Media/4/jpg/2011/8/b31c601c-a2cd-fd21-403d3b0ef6f197b8.jpg[/NPI]This
newly elected AQHYA Region 4 Director has a talent for showing as well as being
involved in the youth association in leadership positions. She shows horses
under the guidance of Judd and Jennifer Paul and qualified to show at the AQHYA
World Show in performance halter geldings, showmanship, horsemanship, western
pleasure and trail.
Bailey
is no stranger to the winner’s circle. In 2006, she won both of her
horsemanship classes and the youth western riding at the Quarter Horse Congress
on her horse, ML Dynamic Venture. In 2008, she won the Hunter Hack 12-14 at the
Congress on RJ Sweet Rhett and had multiple top tens. After purchasing Some Hot
Potential in January of this year, she has achieved both the Youth AQHA
Championship and the Youth Performance Championship.
Mierzejewski
plans on continuing to show until she begins college and then hopes to get a
spot on an NCAA equestrian team in college. GoHorseShow congratulates her on
all her recent wins and wishes her good luck at the World Show.
